Midday eats: healthy lunch inspiration

Don't fall prey to unhealthy takeout for lunch! Even worse is skipping your midday meal altogether because you were too busy at work or running errands. With a little extra thought at the beginning of the week, you can be prep healthy lunches that will keep you going until dinner time. Your body will thank you, and you'll actually be more productive when you're eating properly throughout the day.

Ready to master your midday eats? Here are some lunch ideas for inspiration:

Harvest bowls

These bowls are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and proteins for a fulfilling, nutrient-rich midday meal. They're usually made with ingredients like sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, quinoa and greens. You can create your own bowls based on your preferences, and even make a big batch on Sunday night so you can munch on it throughout the week. Here's a guide to making harvest bowls from Delish to get you started. PureWow served up even more harvest bowl recipes to get your culinary inspiration flowing.

Bistro boxes

You've probably seen these boxes at Starbucks, packed with foods like fruits, cheese, nuts and rolled sandwich meats. However, you can have way more fun making them on your own - and save yourself some money while you're at it. There are a million and one options for these lunches, including hard boiled eggs, peanut butter and apples, wraps, veggie burgers, trail mixes and more. You'll need to think about some combos in advance and make sure you have the ingredients to put together your bistro box during the week. These protein box lunch ideas from Artful Dishes will help you make your first list of ingredients.

Kick your salad up a notch

We know - salads can be relatively drab and unsatisfying meals. But throw in some exciting ingredients and you can totally revamp your salad game. The key is to mix up different elements, like the base or topping, so that your taste buds don't get bored of chowing down on the exact same salad every day. For your base, try to choose dark leafy greens for the most nutrients. Think kale, spinach, arugula and spring mixes. Consider mixing the greens with quinoa or couscous for a more fulfilling meal. Toppings include various proteins, pomegranates, sunflower seeds, lightly shredded cheese, berries and more. Check out these healthy salad recipes from EatingWell for more inspiration.

After a week or two, preparing lunches will be a breeze. Continue the healthy habits when you get home by cooking nutritious homemade dinners. Make a little extra and you can eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. Enjoy!